


Shaking and shivering

by Spannah339



Series: Bad Things Happen [8]
Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon), Tangled (2010)
Genre: Cold, Gen, Hurt Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider, Shivering, Snow, Team Awesome, Whump, blizzard, varian is a bean boi whos trying his best okay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-13
Updated: 2020-07-13
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:48:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,472
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25239490
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spannah339/pseuds/Spannah339
Summary: A more violent than usual gust rocked the whole basket and he cried out, falling back onto the edge. For a horrifying moment, he was lying on the edge of the basket, the ground terrifyingly close but somehow far too distant at the same time. Then Eugene’s grip on his hand tightened, and another hand grabbed his wrist and he was hauled back to safety.“Careful, Hairstripe,” Eugene said, steadying him with a hand on his shoulder.__Aka Team Awesome Gets Cold
Relationships: Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider & Varian
Series: Bad Things Happen [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1485323
Comments: 6
Kudos: 114





	Shaking and shivering

**Author's Note:**

> Me, watching Race to the Spire: hey DISNEY you introduced a /frozen wasteland/ and didn't DO ANYTHING WITH IT it's mine now.

The wind was getting wilder and Varian couldn’t help but feeling nervous. He had suggested taking a shortcut over the snowy wasteland of Krestin Lock on their way back from an ambassadorial trip, and despite Eugene's reluctance they were flying above the snow. Now, Varian began to wonder if this had really been a good idea and the way the basket of the balloon was shaking didn’t make things any better. 

His hair was flying in his face as he gripped one of the ropes, adjusting the burner and checking how much fuel they had left. It was worryingly low and Varian felt a small clench of fear. 

“How’re we looking, kid?” Eugene called from the other side of the balloon. 

“Not great,” Varian said, his voice cracking slightly as he spoke. “I - I’m not sure how much longer we’ll stay in the air with the fuel we have and -” his words were cut off by another violent shudder of the balloon and he shut his eyes tight, gripping onto the rope with all his might. 

He was trying not to think how high above the ground they were, or how cold the wind whistling through his jacket was. The basket shuddered again and he found himself on his knees, one hand gripping the side of the basket. 

“Varian.” Eugene’s voice was getting harder to hear over the wind and Varian kept his eyes shut tight as he tried not to panic. But it was  _ cold _ and even thinking about how high up they were sent a chill down his spine. 

“Hey, take it easy, kid.” Varian felt a hand on his shoulder and started, looking up. Eugene was close enough to be heard without shouting, one hand gripping a rope, the other gently squeezing Varian’s shoulder before reaching out to help him to his feet. “We just have to ride it out, alright? We’ll be fine.” 

Varian nodded, not trusting himself to speak. Shakily, he accepted Eugene’s hand and clambered to his feet, letting out a long breath as the wind rocked the basket. The flame above the burner was flickering far more than it should be. 

“We have to make sure the flame doesn’t go out!” he shouted over the wind, latching onto something he could effect, something he could  _ control _ . If he kept the flame alive, he could keep the balloon flying. 

He stumbled to the centre of the balloon, gently cupping a gloved hand around the flame, barely noticing he was still holding Eugene’s hand. 

A more violent than usual gust rocked the whole basket and he cried out, falling back onto the edge. For a horrifying moment, he was lying on the edge of the basket, the ground terrifyingly close but somehow far too distant at the same time. Then Eugene’s grip on his hand tightened, and another hand grabbed his wrist and he was hauled back to safety. 

“Careful, Hairstripe,” Eugene said, steadying him with a hand on his shoulder. 

“Thanks,” Varian muttered, shutting his eyes briefly as the basket shuddered. “This was a bad idea.” 

“Just giving me a chance to try a windswept lo-” 

Varian’s heart leapt to his mouth as the largest gust of wind yet hit the balloon. He was knocked to his knees, the world spinning for a moment. Then he made out Eugene’s face, white and worried for a brief second before the wind battered them again and suddenly - he vanished. 

“Eugene!” Varian screamed, lunging forward. He leaned over the side of the basket, hands outstretched as though that would do anything. Nothing but the wind answered his shout and Varian felt sick. “Eugene! Eugene where are you!” he screamed, spinning in a circle in case he had missed him in the basket. The balloon shuddered again and Varian dropped to his knees, eyes wide with horror and unshod tears, hands wrapped around himself. 

“ _ What have I done _ ?” 

He barely had any time to recover before the basket shuddered and with a sickening motion, began to drop, still spinning wildly in the air. Varian looked up, trying to steal a gasping breath as the world spun around him. 

For a long moment, there was nothing but the wind, the snow, the cold, the sense of falling. Then he was thrown free and he was spinning, falling, a scream of terror lost in the noise of the wind. 

With a sudden explosion of cold, the world stopped. For a long moment, there was nothing but cold pressing into his face, white, all around him, the wind screaming above him. Then, shakily, achily, he pushed himself out of the snow, coming to his knees in a deep drift. 

He was on the ground and he was completely alone. The snow screamed around him, tossing his hair and trying to steal the hood of his jacket. He was shaking, whether from cold or fear he wasn’t entirely sure. 

“Eug-” his voice caught, the words snatched away before he had a chance to speak. He took in a shaky breath, his eyes wet with tears the wind stole away before they had a chance to fall. Not feeling strong enough to stand, he allowed himself a few seconds to recover, head spinning and body aching from the fall. 

“ _ This is my fault _ ,” the voice in his head whispered, and Eugene’s pale face before he had been thrown from the balloon flashed through his mind. Varian squeezed his eyes shut, wrapping his arms around himself, taking a deep breath and opening his eyes again. 

“No,” he growled, speaking aloud. “No! I’m coming to find you!” 

Shakily, he scrambled to his feet, stumbling slightly as the wind slammed into him. Hands held up in front of him, he tried to make out the landscape around him through the billowing wind. 

The wind and snow swirling through the air made it hard to see, pelting his face and making him squint. He reached up and pulled his goggles down, peering through the glass in an effort to see something - anything. 

He could make out vague shapes, snow swirling around them, a patch of something darker in the distance. Taking a deep breath, he began to move, forcing himself to keep putting one foot in front of the other, ignoring the biting cold. 

The path he was taking took him downhill and he began to stumble, snow turning to ice under his feet, wind trying its best to knock him off his feet. His goggles were becoming fogged, ice and water limiting his vision as he stumbled through the storm. 

With a small squeak of fear, the ground beneath him turned slippery and with a flash of pain, he found himself sitting, his pants wet, his head spinning. Gritting his teeth, he scrambled to his feet again, setting his shoulders and pulling his hood up again. 

“Eugene!” he shouted, his voice painfully small amid the wild wind. Straining his ears for an answer, he slipped slightly, regaining his balance and plodding forward again. 

For a moment, as he stumbled through the snow, not really sure where he was going, he was in another blizzard, letting down another man. The tears welled up again but he blinked furiously, refusing to let them out. 

The ground was even more slippery as he reached the bottom of the hill, and Varian quickly lost track of how many times he had fallen. He was shaking, wet and cold biting into his skin. They hadn’t anticipated things getting this cold - at least he had a jacket, he didn’t want to imagine how Eugene was faring. 

“ _ If he’s even still alive. Varian, come on, I should have done something more! I always let everyone down. _ ” 

“I won’t,” he gasped out, trying to ignore the persistent voice whispering in his mind. “I won’t let him down. I can’t, I  _ won’t _ !” 

Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he saw something - a flash of red, startling colour in the white of the world. He started, turning, trying to make it out again. He scrubbed a gloved hand across his goggles in an effort to clean them, but only succeeded in smudging them even more as he began to stumble forward. 

“Eugene?” he shouted, hoping, praying, it was him. The red was visible again, closer now, and Varian began running, tripping over his feet and feeling the sharp pain of freezing snow against his cheek. 

He pushed himself up and continued forward, running through the snow until he made out the fluttering red of Eugene’s jacket. 

“Eugene!” he cried, dropping to his knees. Relief washed through him as he made out his friend - Eugene was half-covered with snow, completely still, his face almost as white as the snow around him. Varian laid his hands on Eugene’s shoulder, shaking him gently. 

“Eugene, wake up! Wake up, please, please, wake up.” He was crying, his voice cracking with emotion as he begged his friend to wake. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” 

“V’ri’n,” came a muttered voice, almost too quiet for Varian to hear. Eugene’s eyes flickered, blinking open. Varian let out a strangled sob, lunging forward and wrapping his arms around Eugene’s neck. “‘M okay, kid,” Eugene muttered, his voice weak. 

“I’m sorry,” Varian cried, his shoulders shaking. 

“Hey, hey, it’s okay,” Eugene said. “I’m alright.” 

Varian sat back, shoving his googles up and scrubbing a sleeve across his eyes. The wind was still howling around him and his shudders were becoming more violent - not to mention Eugene still looked very out of it. 

"We need to find shelter!” he shouted over the wind, glancing around as though a cave or shelter would appear in the storm. Eugene didn’t answer for a long moment, before blinking and nodding a few times. 

“Yeah, yeah okay, right.” He shifted slightly, a flash of pain crossing his face and Varian shifted forward in concern. It was then that he noticed a patch of deeper red on Eugene’s coat and a wave of nausea rolled over him. 

“You’re bleeding,” he whispered. Eugene glanced down, pressing a shaking hand onto the patch of blood. Something flickered across his face but vanished just as quickly and he looked up with a lopsided grin. 

“That was my favourite shirt too!” he said, a hint of his usual vigour returning.“Now it’s ruined.” 

“Eugene, I - I’m sorry, I -” Eugene cut him off before he could get too worked up. 

“It’s alright, kid. It wasn't your fault." His eyes met Varian's, and the boy dropped his gaze. "Now, about that shelter - Where did the balloon go down?” 

“I don’t  _ know _ ,” Varian cried, his voice cracking momentarily as he spoke. He caught sight of the snow around Eugene’s side, stained red and felt sick again, the wind biting into his skin, he could barely feel his fingers anymore, his thoughts were spinning in his mind, the voice inside screaming that this was all  _ his fault _ . “I - I don’t know, it’s cold and windy and you’re hurt - and I insisted we go this way and I don't…” He trailed off, wrapping his hands around his chest and curling into himself. “I don’t know,” he muttered. 

“Breathe, Hairstripe,” Eugene said softly, his voice almost stolen by the wind. Varian looked up at him through his blurred vision, feeling a little better at Eugene’s confident voice. “Give me a hand getting up and we can find something together, alright?” 

Varian nodded, not trusting himself to speak. He shifted to Eugene’s side, slinging one arm over his shoulder. With a bit of scrambling, staggering and the wind nearly knocking Varian over, they managed to stand, Eugene leaning on Varian a little more than he was comfortable with. 

“Eugene?” he asked, suddenly worried that the movement had been too much for his friend. For a terrifying moment, in which Varian stumbled back a pace as the wind slammed into him, there was no answer.

“I’m here, kid,” Eugene muttered, his voice thick with pain. Varian gritted his teeth, blinking back tears again. 

"I'm sorry," he muttered again and decided Eugene's silence was because of the wind, not because he was too wounded to hear. 

They began stumbling through the snow, Varian half dragging Eugene. The wind slammed into them, knocking them back almost as much as they made forward progress. Varian fell into a rhythm, one step in front of the other, trying to block out the cold, the wind, the aching from his bruises after the fall, the weight of Eugene on his shoulder. 

He almost missed it - a dark patch in the snow, a cliff face rising out of the whiteness of the world. And there, nestled into its side, was a shallow cave. 

Varian let out a shaky breath of relief, stumbling towards it, his feet blocks of ice, his hands thick as he gripped Eugene's arm. 

Coming out of the wind was the most wonderful experience Varian had ever had. The sudden silence, the lack of pressure slamming into him, the sudden almost-warmth of being out of the wind. 

The cave was small, there was barely enough room for both Varian and Eugene to squeeze into. Varian collapsed to the ground, Eugene still leaning heavily against him. His eyes were closed and for a heart-stopping moment, he was completely still. Then, to Varian's intense relief, he drew in a shaking breath, a shiver wracking his frame. 

Varian didn't allow himself time to dwell on anything, shifting so Eugene was completely out of the wind and digging through his pockets. It took a moment with his hands practically frozen, but he eventually found what he was looking for - a small vial, filled with a soft orange liquid. He quickly poured a small puddle onto the ground, then began fumbling with his tinderbox. 

After a few false starts, the flame caught and the oil was flickering with fire. It smelled foul and set out a little more smoke than Varian liked, but it was warm, and maybe it would be enough to keep Eugene alive. 

He wasn't exactly sure how long they lay curled in the cave. It warmed somewhat, the fire and their body heat chasing away the worst of the biting chill. Occasionally, Varian poured a little more of the orange liquid into his hands and dropped it onto the fire, making sure it stayed alive. 

The wind howled around them, snow occasionally drifting into the cave. Varian curled around the fire, curled around Eugene, trying to give his friend as much warmth as possible. At some point he must have drifted into a fitful sleep, full of dreams of falling, of howling snow, of crawling amber devouring everything.

He woke to silence. For a moment, he wasn't sure what had happened or where he was. Then Eugene shifted beside him, muttering something under his breath. 

Slowly, Varian shifted, adding the last of the fuel to the still flickering fire. He was stiff, every movement making him colder as he shifted his wet clothes. 

"Eugene?" he called softly. Eugene shifted, muttering something, then blinked his eyes open. A flicker of confusion crossed his face and he groaned slightly. 

"See, this is why I hate snow," he muttered. He tried to push himself up but didn't have the strength, collapsing back to the ground. "How're you holding up, Hairstripe?" 

Varian shrugged, his back to Eugene, looking out at the still world. Now that the storm had stopped, the absence of the wind was allowing his frantic thoughts to re-emerge. The swirling thoughts of 'my fault' 'should have been better' 'Rapunzel is going to hate me for letting him get hurt' 'I keep messing up my second chances!'

"Varian?" Eugene's weak voice cut through his thoughts and he blinked, surprised to find tears on his eyes. He quickly scrubbed his eyes, turning back to Eugene. He was pale, all the colour drained from his face and if he could see the state of his hair there's no doubt he would put up a huge fuss. 

"I'm okay," Varian lied. 

Eugene's look told him he didn't buy that. Varian sighed, curling into himself and hugging his legs, not meeting Eugene's eyes. 

"Storm's stopped," he muttered. Varian felt a clench in his chest at the sound of his voice, it was low, weak, nothing like Eugene's usual flamboyant self. "'Punzel'll come find us." 

" _ She'll come for you _ ," came the quiet voice in his head. " _ She'll come for you, not me. _ "

" _ No _ ," he told himself. " _ No, she'll come for us both, she always does _ ." 

" _ That doesn't change the fact that this mess is all my fault."  _

"I'll go see if I can… start a fire or something," he muttered, suddenly feeling confined in the cave. Eugene didn't reply, and Varian hesitated, wishing he could do more. Wishing he didn't have to keep letting his friends - his  _ family _ \- down. 

_ Rock walls cold, damp, a dim sliver of moonlight from the barred window a reminder of all that he had done. All that he had failed to be.  _

He stood abruptly and left the small cave. 

It was cold outside. He began shivering almost as soon as he left the warm cocoon their body heat and the small fire had created in the cave. Wrapping his arms around himself, he peered about the white landscape. 

If it were under any other circumstances, he might have found the sight outside beautiful. The whole world was coated in a deep laying of untouched snow, the harsh whiteness of it making him feel small. A curl of dread rolled through his chest as he looked out, wondering how anyone could find them in so large a space. 

"Alright Varian," he muttered to himself. Speaking to someone helped him focus, but since Ruddiger wasn't here, he had to make do with speaking to the still air.

For a moment, he felt a rush of longing for Ruddiger, at least he would be warm, and he wouldn't feel as lost and alone with the racoon's familiar weight on his shoulder. Then he remembered where he was, and the state Eugene was in, and he was glad no one else was here to get hurt. 

"I have to make a fire or - or a flare or something so they can see us. I'm sure I have…" he began digging through his pockets, carefully lining up the various vials and bottles he had in him in the snow. "Yes, that'll work," he muttered, selecting a few vials. "Now all I need is…" 

He trailed off, knowing he was going to need some fabric or something to keep it all together. Ideally, he could find the balloon and salvage parts from that, but a glance at the white world around him made that seem very unlikely. For a moment, he considered searching for it, but the chill in the air and the white landscape, towering ice mountains and cliffs put a stop to that line of thinking before he fully explored it. 

Besides, he didn't want to leave Eugene. A part of him wasn't confident he'd be able to find his way back again. 

So, reluctantly, he struggled out of his jacket, shuddering as the cold air bit into him. Taking a deep breath he carefully combined two chemicals with shaking fingers, scrambling back and throwing the jacket over the mess. There was a muffled  _ poof _ as the chemicals reacted, making the jacket bulge. 

"Yes!" Varian shouted, punching a fist into the air. He pulled a rope from one of his pockets, quickly bundling the jacket and trying it into a small ball. He looped the rope over it, then, using another vial, froze the other end of the rope to the ground. Finally, he carefully poured his most reflective and glowy chemical over the bundle and let it float slowly up. 

The result was a haphazard balloon, floating a few meters off the ground and glowing slightly. It would last for a few hours, and hopefully, be enough to point rescue in their direction. Varian looked up at it with satisfaction, until he began shivering uncontrollably and retreated back towards the cave. 

Eugene was very still when he returned, lying motionless on the cold ground of the cave. Varian crouched by his head, checking the fire and noting with concern the flames were getting very low. He shifted, gently lifting Eugene's head onto his lap, fumbling a little as he tried to make his freezing hands work. 

"Rapunzel will come soon," Varian said quietly. "Eugene, I - I'm so sorry. I should never suggested..." He shut his eyes tight, fighting back shivers. "I'm sorry," he whispered. 

Eugene shifted, letting out a small noise of pain. Opening his eyes Varian saw he was shifting, his eyes shut tight. He began muttering, talking under his breath and Varian realized he was lost in a memory. 

"Lance… Buddy," he muttered, his hand twitching involuntarily. "Stay with me. S'cold." 

"Hey, Eugene, it's me. I've got you," Varian said. He ripped a glove off, pressing his hand to Eugene's cheek. To his horror, Eugene's skin was burning hot and a curl of terror grew in Varian's chest. The touch did seem to calm him slightly, his expression relaxing. "Hurry Rapunzel," Varian whispered, looking up to where he could see the rope holding his balloon outside. 

The fire died and it got colder. Varian was aching from his bruises, from the constant shivering. Eugene was still, occasionally shifting, muttering. 

The light outside was fading when he heard something. A soft call, a voice in the distance. His heart leapt and he shifted, winching as he moved after so long sitting still. 

"... gene! Var-..." 

"Over here!" Varian shouted. He bared his teeth and gently lifted Eugene's head, laying him down and struggling to his feet. The movement set him shivering again and he wrapped his arms around him as he made his way out of the cave. "Rapunzel?" 

The cold air almost made him start crying again as he left the cave. The temperature inside had dropped since the fire ran out of fuel, but it was still significantly warmer than outside. 

But the sight that greeted him made him sob with relief - a balloon, the Corona sun shining brightly on its surface. And running towards him, her short hair flying behind her was Rapunzel. 

"Varian!" she shouted, reaching him and flinging her arms around his shoulders. Varian wrapped his arms around her, the tears pricking his eyes once again. He clung to her, clung to her as though if he let go she would vanish. He clung to her, drinking in her warmth, her presence, the knowledge that he was  _ safe _ now. 

"I was so worried," she said, a bubbling hint of manic laugh in her voice. Pascal on her shoulder let out a small chirp. Then she paused, and her voice turned more serious. "Where's…?" 

"He's in the cave," Varian said, reluctantly pulling away from her. He fought back a shiver, gesturing back towards the cave. "Princess, he's...he got hurt," he said, suddenly unable to meet Rapunzel's eyes.  _ Why _ had he suggested they take a shortcut over the wasteland? 

He could see the concern on her face as she moved towards the cave and took a step after her, shivering violently. 

Something small and warm bowled into him and he started as Ruddiger squeaked happily, twisting around his shoulders. Varian buried his hands in the raccoon's warm fur, breathing in his familiar smell.

"Hey buddy, I m-missed you," he chattered, still shivering. For a moment, he buried his face in Ruddiger's fur, feeling the sharp pain as his face began to warm up again. 

"Hey kid, let's get you warmed up." Lance's voice broke into his reunion with Ruddiger and he nodded absently, too tired to care.

Somehow, he found himself in the balloon, Lance's steady hand on his back making sure he didn't trip over his half frozen feet on the way. A blanket was draped over his shoulder and he held Ruddiger close, staring out towards the cave where Lance had gone to help Rapunzel. 

It seemed to be an age, curled under the blanket, Ruddiger's warm form pressed into him. For a moment, he felt so alone, the soft wind making snow dance around him, the cold air more bearable now he knew he was going home soon. 

Finally, they emerged, Eugene limp in Lance's arms. Rapunzel followed, hovering nervously around them as they returned to the balloon. 

"I-is he o-kay?" Varian asked, struggling to his feet, blanket right around her shoulders, as they came into view. 

"He's survived worse," Lance said, gently lowering his friend to the floor of the basket. Rapunzel hurried around him, piling blankets and making sure he was comfortable. Varian took a hesitant step towards them, shivered violently, and sat down again. Ruddiger chirped softly, curling tighter around his neck. 

Finally,  _ finally,  _ the balloon lifted into the air. Varian was too exhausted to watch the ground become small behind them, instead he wrapped the blanket around him, resting his head on the side of the basket and  _ wishing _ he would stop shivering. 

A soft hand on his shoulder made him look up. Rapunzel was crouching over him, concern in her eyes.

"Hey, how're you doing?" she asked quietly. 

"F-fine," Varian chattered. "How's Eugene? H-he had a f-ever. A-and he was bl-leeding."

"Eugene will be fine," Rapunzel said. The concern in her voice was still there, and it was echoed on her face when she looked back at him, but just hearing her say it made Varian feel better. 

"I'm sorry," Varian muttered. He pulled his blanket close, shivering more. "I - I suggested we come this way. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have. It's my fault. I - I should have-"

"It's not your fault Varian," Rapunzel said quietly. She shifted, kneeling and pulling him into a hug. A warm, real, true hug. Varian bit back a sob and leaned into her. "Don't you dare blame yourself, alright?" 

He nodded, not trusting himself to speak. Rapunzel shifted back, looking him in the eyes and making sure he understood. This time he didn't look away. 

"Come're," she said, shifting across the floor of the basket and kicking off the shoes she was wearing as she did. She gently lifted Eugene's head onto her lap, brushing hair from his face with a look of deep affection in her face. With a soft chirp, Pascal crawled down her arm and settled onto Eugene's chest, curling into a ball. 

Hesitantly, Varian moved to join her and she wrapped an arm around his shoulder, pulling him in close. He leaned into her, Ruddiger warm on his neck, Rapunzel warm beside him. Finally, he allowed himself to relax, to let himself believe that everything might just be okay. 

He let out a long breath and finally, the shivers stopped. 

**Author's Note:**

> I had a headcanon that I didn't fully explore in this, but I like to think that as kids Eugene and Lance got caught out in a snowstorm/blizzard and Lance nearly died in it. As a result, Eugene has Bad Memories associated with snow because he spent the time terrified for himself and especially for Lance (who was OUT of it and doesn't remember much) and that's why he doesn't like snow. 
> 
> Anyway, Eugene was going to be awake for a lot more of this fic and trying to be strong etc. for Varian even while wounded but I guess... he decided it was nap time? So he was out for a lot more than originally planned but hey, it worked! 
> 
> Also Rapunzel wearing shoes in the snow is because the DAY AFTER I watched Race to the Spire my family and I went up a mountain and found snow and it was cold and windy and my feet DIED and I was wearing two pairs of socks and shoes and anyway, everytime I see Rapunzel running barefooted around in the snow my feet hurt.


End file.
